“Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”  I Timothy 4:12b  NLT

If you ever raise a dog, you soon find out he watches you constantly and intently. You cannot make a move without him wanting to know where you are going and what you are going to do. You may think he is sleeping soundly, but shift from your seat, and he opens an eye or picks up his head to make sure everything is fine. There are no closed doors and no privacy between a man and his dog!

This serves as a reminder that I will always be under scrutiny for professing my faith in Jesus Christ. If the way I live my life does not reflect God’s example for me in Christ, then many opportunities of serving God, his creation, and his purpose for my life are missed. By choosing to allow my dog’s watchful gaze to serve as a reminder of my duty to him and to God, it can also become the portal of God’s reassurance and grace.

God, thank you for your watchful and forgiving nature. May my actions show my heart belongs to you.

“You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy.”  I Peter 1:8  NLT

My heart was ready for a dog before Famous came to live with me. Much like a parent expecting a child, I was wrapped up in “how to” manuals and name selection. Just shy of throwing a puppy shower, I made sure everyone knew a change was coming. Finally, I was notified of a litter born in the spring, and I received my first photo of the pups through an e-mail. With all of the pups being male and with the same coloration, I would not know for a few more weeks exactly which one would become mine.

I believe our trust in Jesus Christ to come into our lives without having seen Him in the flesh and grant us this inexpressible joy to be the evidence of an unbreakable bond which has always existed. Just as I had anticipated the difference Famous would one day make in my life without having seen him in person, the need in all of us for a Savior may be realized by opening our hearts and anticipating the love and joy He is waiting to give to us.

Jesus, I pray you will increase my heart’s capacity for trusting your future for my life.

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”  Romans 12:10  NLT

It is customary for a dog to “bow” before engaging in playful antics. I have seen Famous do this many times as an invitation to play fetch or the “just you try to take my bone” game. He kneels down on his front legs with his hind end up in the air while wagging his tail. The whole time, he is watching me for the slightest movement of eye or hand to give away my next move. Every shift of body is met with a counter move to give him the advantage. Together we enjoy the fun of seeing who is faster and smarter, and I concede he is usually the victor.

People honor each other when the occasion calls for a bow or a curtsey. It represents respect and acknowledgement of someone’s power or talent. It symbolizes humility when the bow is given to an appreciative audience. Just as I am learning to honor the life, beauty, and talent of my dog, Paul instructs us to honor these attributes and more in people around us just for the sheer delight of doing so. This is genuine affection if it truly honors someone rather than exploits them for personal gain.

God, make me an instrument of your love. Help me to affirm your glory in all that is around me. 

“Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good.”  Romans 12:9  NLT

So much is said today about groups who hate other people or their actions if they differ from their own interpretations of religion and scripture. They will even claim to do this in the name of love. If you listen carefully, you will hear that this is a “pretend” kind of love, not an actual love. We do not have permission from God to “love the sinner, but hate the sin” when our actions betray us as haters and discriminators.

Actions always speak louder than words. I may arrive at home late in the afternoon and greet Famous with a pat on the head and a promise to go right outside for a walk. What he sometimes will see, in fact, is my taking the time to change clothes, check the mail, and grab a snack before I finally focus on getting his lead in preparation for the walk I had promised to him ten minutes earlier. He does not let me get away with it either. Unless he sees me moving towards the door he can begin to issue a series of high-pitched howls as a tea kettle releasing steam until it is taken from the stove. I demonstrate my love not with the original intent, but with the final sacrifice of time and energy. And in most cases, the exuberant joy he exhibits in appreciation does in fact infect my heart and elevates me to a renewed wonder of the love we share.

Today, Lord, I pray you will change the hearts of others who speak hate yet justify it by saying it is your will.

“For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song.”  Zephaniah 3:17  NLT

Music can inspire many moods, but for the most part we all appreciate it whether we prefer classical, country, jazz, or pop. I have a hunch Famous likes my piano playing. It is not unusual for him to curl up under my piano when I sit down to play. Perhaps he hears vibrations on the live strings in a way which is not reproduced for canine ears on radio or CD.

Christ is the song of our hearts. He is the music that allows our hearts to be glad and drives away our darkest fears. The mission for new and old believers alike is to find whatever it is in this world that reminds us of Emmanuel–God with us. Once you find this song, you can learn to recognize its melody and then tune into it under any circumstance. It plays so that your heart “strings” can respond. When we allow the music to play in our lives, we have the confidence of knowing we are not passing through this world alone.

While Famous is with me, I will play the music to assure him he is not alone and he is a welcomed addition to my life. In turn, I remember to find the joyful song which Christ brings to me.

What great assurance is mine knowing God rejoices over me today!

“There are three things that will endure–faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love.”  I Corinthians 13:13  NLT

Death and taxes–perhaps these are the certainties in life. What is not preordained is the legacy we each will leave upon the earth. On this day in which human love is celebrated, I would like to elevate love itself as the force which is timeless and the one which can certainly make the biggest difference in our lives.

Valentine’s Day will be honored today around the world. We celebrate connectivity, reciprocity, and devotion. But we cannot insure that these will endure. Too often our own selfish needs lead us to believe love works for our own purposes, but I have found it is the energy which allows us to do for others. This is an energy that is truly renewable, for its source is limitless.

Having Famous share his life with mine gives me a glimpse of that inexhaustible love. We share a connection that can warm a heart and heal a hurt. And though love makes the moment sweet, it also will endure. But to do so, each of us must take advantage of this and every day as the best opportunity to show how much we love each other.

Thank you, God, for your everlasting love!

“And everything you do must be done with love.”  I Corinthians 16:14  NLT

It is true. Having a dog requires much work. Besides walking and feeding, there is grooming and bathing, training and teaching, exercising and playing. I suppose you could pay someone else to do all these things, but then why even have a dog?

For a brief time I entered Famous into show competitions. This required his grooming to only be done by a professional. His groomer had several dogs of her own, and one day she had a new dog in the yard. He was an older dog and overweight which surprised me because she took such great care of her animals. She explained a retired couple who had kept this dog as a pet for nine years had decided he did not belong in their lives anymore since they wanted to travel in their RV in their golden years. They had concluded keeping an older dog would not be very convenient and had contacted the groomer as the only resort short of taking the dog to the pound.

Perhaps this couple would tell you they loved this dog and it broke their hearts to have to abandon him. But I cannot imagine they lost very much sleep over their decision. As for me, I eventually learned to groom Famous myself. I did it out of love. I can also say it was love that enabled me to clean up the carpets when he would become sick in the house, to repair the screen door when he could not wait for me to open it, and to give him a bath when he would eagerly splash through a mud puddle or a scum-covered pond.

Love should be the best explanation for our actions.

Take my heart, Lord, and give me no preoccupation other than love.

“Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.”  I John 3:18  NLT

Famous had his brief history as a show dog. Together we attended classes which helped me to know what to do in front of judges when we went to competition. They were looking for all of the qualities unique to each breed and for the dogs that best exhibited those qualities. I discovered a dog had to have excellent breeding, grooming, and discipline in order to advance and win. It was a very different community, but one where owners could “put their money where their mouths were” when it came to boasting rights.

There were weeks and weeks of practice for the two of us. In order for Famous to feel comfortable in a busy, loud, open space with hundred of other dogs, he had to practice his gait, his stance, and his obedience. Treats came in handy for helping him focus. All in all he did well for a young dog, and the judges took notice.

People do notice when we are proclaiming our love by our actions. But just as in the big world of dog competition, it takes work and effort to make our good intentions become loving actions which can ultimately change a life forever.

Spirit, motivate me to actively seek to demonstrate your love.

“This is the message we have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.”  I John 3:11  NLT

You can ask anyone (other than a stranger in the yard), and they will tell you Famous is the sweetest dog. He rarely barks or growls in public, he loves children, and he is eager to roll over for a belly rub. It makes me wonder when we encounter other dogs less friendly if it is just a matter of poor training. I do appreciate it when the owner warns me his dog is aggressive and I should not let Famous come too close. But I am also saddened for the animal that has to live in a world with such limitations.

People can reject love for many reasons. But that should not keep the rest of us from opening doors to God’s love. Just as a dog owner should help socialize his pet with other humans and other dogs, people have to practice loving others. I believe it is true how we treat our pets gives insight into how we treat one another. And if we do not learn to share love, then we close our lives to the vast opportunities God wants to give to us.

God, remove any fear or doubt that would keep me from loving those I will encounter today.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.”  I Corinthians 13:4  NLT

I have heard it said a dog can bring out the best in people. (Then there is the French proverb which says the best thing about a man is his dog!) I can tell you Famous has certainly helped me to be more patient. Perhaps he has allowed me to be kinder. I must admit I boast of him frequently, but even in my pride I am humbled by the fact that he is mine for far too short a time.

But it is because we only have a few years together that seems to connect me to the eternal. He is my treasure today, but these days are numbered. For him to continue in my heart when the day comes for him to no longer be at my side, the lessons he has taught me of loyalty, protection, and yes, love, must be able to endure. My connection to the Eternal comes from my understanding that Famous is a gift to me from God, as are all good gifts. My purpose then becomes discovering how I am to use it.

If we were perfect loving beings, we would always be patient, kind, and full of humility. But then what would we put on the evening news?

Lord, let me know the depth and the wonder of your love so that my thirst may be quenched.